Biography
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Born
17 March 1949 (age 75)
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Born In
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Patricia Thelma "Little Pattie" Amphlett (OAM) (born 17 March 1949) in Paddington, Sydney, is an Australian singer possibly best recalled for her 1964 hit single "He's My Blonde Headed, Stompie Wompie, Real Gone Surfer Boy" released at age 14. Little Pattie is the cousin of Divinyls singer Christina Amphlett
Pattie was educated at King Street Primary School and Sydney Girls High School. At the age of 11 she commenced singing lessons with Gwen Parsons, who also taught Noeleen Batley - Australia's top female singing artist of the time. They persuaded her to audition for TCN 9's TV teen show Saturday Date hosted by Jimmy Hannan, where she was a hit. She first appeared as a singer on the television series Opportunity Knocks at the age of 13. At age 14 as a third year high school student, she performed weekly at the Bronte Surf Club as lead singer of The Statesmen (with Duncan McGuire, Mark Rigby, Peter Walker, Nev Jade and Peter Maxworthy) and was signed to a recording contract by EMI.
Her first single for the EMI label, was influenced by the surf music craze. Titled "He's My Blonde Headed, Stompie Wompie, Real Gone Surfer Boy", (and backed with Stompin' at Maroubra), the song was released in November 1963 when Pattie was aged 14. It reached number two on the Australian music charts (the number one spot being held by The Beatles' I Want to Hold Your Hand). By 1965 a string of successful singles saw her voted as Australian Female Singer of the Year, and she appeared regularly on television variety programs, including Bandstand. Pattie regularly toured supporting Col Joye and the Joy Boys, with Judy Stone, Sandy Shaw and Cathy Wayne.
In 1966, at the age of 17 and the height of 4' 10", she became both the youngest and the shortest person to entertain troops during the Vietnam War. Performing in Nui Dat, Vietnam, and backed by The Joy Boys, Pattie was performing on stage when Battle of Long Tan began. Although organisers had promised her safety, she was evacuated from the area before the completion of her scheduled performances. In 1994 she received the Vietnam Logistic and Support Medal in recognition of her services in support of the Australian Armed Forces in operations in Vietnam.
She subsequently appeared on several TV shows in America, the most notable being the Ed Sullivan show, and during the election campaign of November 1972 she appeared with other entertainers such as Col Joye and Judy Stone in the Labor Party's It's time TV commercial, which also starred Gough Whitlam.
1998 Australia Post stamp commerating "He's my Blonde Headed Stompie Wompie Real Gone Surfer Boy" released 35 years earlier.As Little Pattie entered her twenties, she continued her career moving into the adult entertainment world. She continues to perform on television and in clubs, and became a vocal teacher, notably coaching Nikki Webster before her performance at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. More recently, Amphlett has taught at a number of Sydney high schools, including Burwood Girls High School, St. Joseph's College, Hunters Hill, Mercy College, Chatswood and Saint Ignatius' College, Riverview.
In 2002 she appeared across Australia in the successful Long Way To The Top rock tour. In 2004, General Peter Cosgrove invited her to be patron of FACE, (Forces Advisory Council on Entertainment), and she was invited to go to Iraq to perform for Christmas 2005 and New Year 2006. She performed at the "Salute to Vietnam Veterans" held at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra on 19 August 2006.
In addition to her music career, Pattie was a member of the Council for the Australian War Memorial from 1995 until 1998, and received an Order of Australia Medal in 2003 for her services (as National President) to the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance and (as vice-president) to Actors' Equity. She has also been on the Federal Executive of the Australian Council of Trade Unions. In 2000 the Sydney Morning Herald included her on a list of the 'century's most loved faces', and she was included in a 1998 issue of Australian stamps featuring Australian bands.
As mentioned, her first release in 1963 was "He's My Blonde-Headed, Stompie Wompie, Real Gone Surfer Boy", written by Joe Halford and Jay Justin (McCarthy) backed with "Stompin' At Maroubra", also written by Halford & Justin.
Later releases not in the "surf genre" included: "Dance Puppet Dance" (1965), "Pushin' A Good Thing Too Far" (1965), and "Little Things Like That" (1967).
In 2001 EMI released a Little Pattie CD - "20 Stompie Wompie Hits", a compilation of her early records.
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